Designing Productive and Satisfying Work Lesson 4
Learning objectives After this lecture you should be able to: Describe how the design of work tasks and roles can align with overall HR strategy. Explain the steps in the process of job analysis. Explain how to translate job analysis results into knowledge, skill, and ability lists. Describe various approaches to job design.
How can strategic design of work tasks improve an organization?
How can strategic design of work tasks improve an organization? Differentiation Integration Centralization Decentralization Standardization Mutual adjustment
How can strategic design of work tasks improve an organization? Through the process of assigning and coordinating work tasks called Work Design. Two key principles of work design are: Differentiation: the assignment of different tasks so that they can specialize in doing things well. Integration: the coordination of the efforts of the employees. When differentiation and integration are aligned, they help organizations to increase productivity and to improve customer satisfaction.
Two Elements of Work Design Autonomy is the extent to which individual workers are given the freedom and independence to plan and perform assigned tasks. Interdependence is the extent to which an individual s work actions and outcomes are influenced by other people (accumulation, serial, and reciprocal interdependence).
Linking Autonomy and Interdependence to HR Strategy focused on Cost leadership Organizations using cost HR strategies either Bargain Laborer or Loyal Soldier focus on efficiency. With cost strategies, one objective is to standardize jobs so that employees can quickly learn a set of relatively easy tasks. è Efficiency is created by combining low autonomy and sequential processing.
Linking Autonomy and Interdependence to HR Strategy focused on Differentiation Organizations that use differentiation HR strategies either Committed Expert or Free Agent focus on innovation. With differentiation, the goal is to create new products and services that are better than those offered by competitors. è High autonomy and reciprocal processes encourage innovation.
Strategic Framework for Work Design
How do employees know what they are supposed to do? Employees are hired into a Job. Job = a collection of tasks that a person is required to perform at work. Job are identified through a process known as Job Analysis.
Job Analysis (1/2) Steps in the Job Analysis Process 1. Determine who will do the analysis and get top management buy in the process. 2. Choose jobs that are critical to the success of the company and have a sufficient number of employees in them. 3. Review what has already been written about the job.
Job Analysis (2/2) 4. Select job agents, people who will provide job information, such as incumbents (people currently doing the job), supervisors or job analysts (experts). 5. Collect job information through interviews, questionnaires and observations 6. Create a job description that identifies tasks, responsibilities, and working conditions of the job: a) Task Analysis Inventory b) Critical-incidents technique c) Position Analysis Questionnaire 7. Add a job specification to the job description, that identifies the knowledge and skills, experiences, and abilities that workers need to perform the tasks listed in the job description.
Comparing Job Descriptions and Job Specifications.
Job Analysis - Methods 1/3 Task Analysis Inventory The job agents provide ratings concerning a large number of tasks. Most analyses require responses for at least 100 different task statements. These task statements usually begin with an action verb that describes a specific activity for example, explains company policies to newly hired workers and analyzes data to determine the cost of hiring each new employee. One rating is for frequency or time spent, and the other is for importance. Ratings for frequency of performing the task range from never performed to performed most of the time. Ratings might also be made for time spent on the task. However, ratings of frequency and time spent essentially measure the same thing. Ratings for task importance usually range from not important to extremely important.
Job Analysis Methods 2/3 Critical-incidents technique identifies good and bad on-the-job behaviors. Job agents are asked to generate a number of statements that describe behaviors they consider particularly helpful or harmful for accomplishing work. Each statement includes a description of the situation and the actions that determined whether the outcome was desirable or undesirable.
Job Analysis Methods 3/3 Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is a structured questionnaire that assesses the work behaviors required for a job. Such as: Information input where and how a worker obtains needed information such as education and/or experience. Mental processes reasoning and decision-making activities. Work output physical actions required for the job, as well as tools or devices used. Relationships with other persons the interactions and social connections that a worker forms with others. Job context the physical and social surroundings where work activities are performed. Other job characteristics activities, conditions, or characteristics that are important, but not contained in the other five dimensions.
Job Descriptions and Job Specifications The PAQ, which consists of multiple pages is then transcribed into smaller document called a Job Description by the job analysts. The Job Description consist of two parts: The description of the of the tasks and responsibilities related with a organizational position. The Job Specification The Job Description is used in multiple human resources processes such as recruiting, compensation and training. The Job Specification focus attention on knowledge and skills, experiences, and abilities needed to do the job.
Competency Modeling As work activities have become more knowledge based Competency Modeling (CM) has emerged as a new method. CM describes the work activities in terms of competencies needed to perform the job. Competencies include knowledge and skills, experiences, and abilities, but CM also seek to capture such things as motivation, values, and interests. Factors thus that add at the can-do characteristics of people also the will-do ones.
Job Design The process of job design focuses on determining what tasks will be grouped together to form employee jobs There are four general approaches to grouping work tasks: mechanistic, motivational, perceptual, and biological.
Mechanistic Approach Job design is viewed from the perspective of creating an efficient machine that transforms labor inputs into goods and services. Industrial engineers often use analyses designed to find the work methods that take the least time. Such as Time and Motion studies.
Motivational Approach The motivational approach is aimed at increasing employees enjoyment of their work and thus increasing their effort. Jobs are designed not simply to get work done as quickly as possible, but also to provide workers with tasks they find meaningful and enjoyable. A model of motivational job design is the job characteristics model, which focuses on building intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation exists when employees do work because they enjoy it, not necessarily because they receive pay and other rewards.
Perceptual Approach The basic objective of the perceptual approach is to simplify mental demands on workers and thereby decrease errors. Safety and prevention of accidents are critical. The perceptual approach to job design usually results in work characterized by sequential processing and low autonomy.
Biological Approach This approach is associated with ergonomics, which concerns methods of designing work to prevent discomfort and physical injury. Job tasks are assessed in terms of strength, endurance, and stress put on joints. Work processes are then designed to eliminate movements that can lead to physical injury or excessive fatigue.